While I have a great appreciation for the English language and I enjoy writing, there are several things that frustrate me about the rules for proper English writing. My general opinion is that rules should be in place to make communication either more effective or more artful.
My personal favorite styles of literature to read and write are very conversational because that type is the easiest for me to understand the author's point. A lot of what I feel makes some pretentious writing pretentious is due to the rules that have been put in place for proper English. Many grammar rules simply do not appear to make the written word any easier to understand. Here are just a few of those rules.
Stupid Rule #1: No prepositions at the end of a sentence
I have known about this rule since I have known what a preposition is. On the surface it sounds good. A preposition always needs an object. When I try to put this into practice the resulting sentences are often very awkward.
I think that when someone ends a sentence with a preposition what is happening is that the preposition is being used as an adverb or the object is implied. I have heard the response that it's simply not right to use a preposition as an adverb. I still can't figure what is so wrong with it.
Stupid Rule #2: Spell out a number when...
Why does it matter whether I type out "100" or "one hundred"? Both get the idea across. In my opinion there should be no grammar rules for spelling out numbers. Whatever seems to fit the situation should be used.
Stupid Rule #3: To comma or not to comma
Comma rules are too complicated and arbitrary for something that is simply supposed to indicate a short pause in a sentence. If the author of the comment thinks the reader should pause, then a comma should be valid.
Stupid Rule #4: Who and whom, affect and effect, etc
Why are there different words that are almost identical but mean essentially the same thing? Who (or whom), besides a grammar snob, really knows or cares about when to use "who" and when to use "whom"? The words should be interchangeable.
Stupid Rule #5: No sentence fragments
Perhaps this comes from my appreciation of conversational writing. Sentence fragments can be very effective (or is it affective?) for providing emphasis. People use fragments in conversations all of the time. Why is it that fragments are frowned upon in writing?
Stupid Rule #6: Limit contractions
Actually, contractions are probably not frowned on much any more. I think they make writing less stuffy and they don't take away from the meaning of what is being written.
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7 comments:
When I started blogging I was very concerned about my grammar and the rules. I had to decide for myself that if I wanted to write it then I'd do just that and if people didn't want to read me because it was too painful (I know a lot of grammar snobs) then they would have to not read me. Maybe that's the real reason dash doesn't read my blogs very often! :)
I quite often end a sentence with a preposition. I know it's wrong but I never know how to correct it.
You got a lot of good points. I don't follow the rules unless I'm getting a grade on it
i,Think;everyone...should use. the English language real good? bE more seriou's and understand grammar"punctuation and spelling.!
I get embarassed for obvious grammatical errors and spelling.
the whole affect/effect never seemed to be a challenge to me.
Also, you should check your rules to see if they still apply, because postmodernism has changed grammar quite a bit and a lot of writers have no problem breaking these rules for effect.
...also, don't you think "stupid" is a little harsh or have they affected you that much?
The rules are still there, people just choose to break them.
I am a little bit of a grammar buff, but affect and effect have always defeated me. And last night starting a Spanish class that jumped deeply into pronouns which in Spanish can be in multiple places, I suddenly had the thought, foreign to me, I don't care about all this grammar stuff - teach me to talk.
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